Israel to pause daily attacks in southern Gaza to allow more aid to arrive

The Israeli Army has announced that starting this Sunday it will pause daily attacks in the southern Gaza Strip. The breaks will be between 08:00 and 19:00 (local time) in order to allow the distribution of humanitarian aid in the area.

The decision comes after holding “discussions with the UN and international organizations,” according to the Israeli armed forces in a statement.

The route of the daily Israeli “humanitarian breaks” can be seen on a map shared by the authorities, which reaches from the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south to the Khan Younis European Hospital.

Since the Israeli Army entered Rafah, in southern Gaza, at the beginning of last month, the border crossing into Egypt – through which much of the humanitarian aid to the enclave crossed – remains closed, and the Kerem Shalom crossing also remains closed. In the south, supplies only enter sporadically.

The situation has forced hospitals and clinics to close and has served to aggravate a previously catastrophic humanitarian crisis, as reported by international organizations such as Doctors Without Borders.

According to the Army, the daily pauses in the attacks began yesterday, Saturday.

The announcement also comes a day after the Israeli Army experienced its deadliest day in Gaza since the beginning of the war, with the death of eight soldiers when the armored vehicle in which they were traveling exploded.

The explanation of the armed forces suggests that the explosion of a bomb hit the vehicle, which was loaded with explosive material, causing it to also explode and triggering a large detonation.

Since the war began, more than 37,200 Gazans, most of them women and children, have died in constant attacks by Israeli forces, in addition to 307 Israeli soldiers.